Tag: mac razzledazzler nail lacquer

MAC Fashion Sets: Nail Lacquer Review Round-up

MAC is not known for an excellent nail polish formula. Sometimes they do it right, but they often create some major misses that tend to suffer from too thin/too thick consistencies, streaking, and poor pigmentation. As is generally the case, the set of sixteen matching nail lacquers was a mixed bag but with more winners than real losers. Pigmentation wasn’t a problem with most of the shades, but I found several of them to be on the streakier side with some more readily covered with a thicker second coat. There were also a handful of shades that were lovely to apply!

The other downside was that a few of the nail lacquers did not match well with the lipstick/lipgloss (Angel, Impassioned, Razzledazzler, Rebel, Snob, and Spice were among the least matching, particularly in tone, not just slightly lighter/darker).

I think MAC has accelerated the price point of their nail lacquers far too quickly–$16 is more than a lipstick or a gloss! It’s $2 less than NARS, the same or $2 less than Deborah Lippmann (depending on the type of polish, as some of hers are $16 and others are $18), $2 MORE than Illamasqua (one of the best polish formulas I’ve ever tried), and $2 more than Butter London. And frankly? At that price tag, MAC is giving you less than the brands I just mentioned–0.34 fl. oz. vs. 0.50 fl. oz. 0.50 fl. oz. is the standard lacquer size (China Glaze, Essie, OPI, etc. all have this size as well). This formula needs to be on point to command a $16 price tag when there are nail polish niche brands where all they do is nail polish have excellent formulas. The nail lacquers have increased in price faster than other comparable price points at MAC (e.g. lipsticks, glosses, and eyeshadows go up $0.50 every year).

I very specifically removed price from the overall rating so that a $30 formula can be compared to a $3 formula with no boost/decrease because of the price–you are the only one who can decide what is too expensive, just right, or not worth it. As a buyer, I’m most interested in quality, and then I’ll figure out if the quality-to-price-ratio is worth it to me or maybe the color is so original that I’m willing to pay a higher price — or maybe it’s so cheap that I’ll accept that it streaks or is powdery. I try to shed light on situations where the price seems out of line with the brand’s position in the market, against competitors, or if the price/quantity ratio is unusually low or high.

MAC’s lacquers are packaged in a cylindrical bottle (though it has some tapering) and a rubberized cap, and this type of cap normally brings packaging scores up to 5/5, but because it’s awkward to hold (it’s stubby and oddly shaped when gripped), it ends up being a wash. Though it has been an issue in the past, I didn’t have any problems with the brush–they all seemed fine and didn’t have any splaying issues.

The best shades were: Chestnut, Girl About Town, Morange, Pink Nouveau, and Russian Red (A). A good but not great shade was Impassioned (A-). The most under-performing shades were: Saint Germain (C+) and Snob (B-). The rest were middle-of-the-road shades with mostly Bs and a few B+s.

Availability: Based on the information I have received from MAC, the distribution of these shades is regional. I cannot confirm the extent of non-regional shades being available online for your region (e.g. whether all of these will be available on the UK website). I can confirm only that for North America, all shades are available for purchase online. Only the North America-specific shades will be available in-stores on May 3rd, 2012. Select Macy’s will also carry Latin America & Middle East region-specific shades.

North America: Chestnut, Girl About Town, Myth, Rebel, Russian Red, Snob, Spice; all are limited edition at this time, but MAC will be adding Girl About Town and Snob to the permanent range in JulyAsia Pacific: Angel, Morange, Impassioned, Peachstock, Ravishing, Razzledazzler, Saint Germain; all are limited edition at this time, but MAC will be adding Girl About Town, Impassioned, Morange, Saint Germain, and Snob to the permanent range in JulyEurope & Africa: Impassioned, Morange, Myth, Rebel, Russian Red, Saint Germain, Spice; all are limited edition at this time, but MAC will be adding Impassioned, Morange, and Saint Germain, to the permanent range in JulyLatin America & Middle East: Girl About Town, Impassioned, Morange, Pink Nouveau, Please Me, Russian Red, Snob; all are limited edition at this time, but MAC will be adding Girl About Town, Impassioned, Morange, and Snob to the permanent range in July

MAC Fashion Sets: Nail Lacquer Review Round-up

Please note that the photos included in this post are for summary purposes only–there are four additional photos for each lipstick shade that have been excluded in this post but are available in the set’s original post: one product photos, one swatch (diffused flash), and two swatches (studio lighting).

MAC Razzledazzler Lipglass, Lipstick, Nail Lacquer

MAC Razzledazzler Lipstick ($14.50 for 0.10 oz.) has been such a top-seller that it has now inspired a Lipglass ($14.50 for 0.17 fl. oz.) and Nail Lacquer ($16.00 for 0.34 fl. oz.) to complement it. This shade is part of the Asia Pacific region of the collection, so it will only be available online for North American buyers. Razzledazzler is described as “light cream peach.”

The lipgloss is noticeably lighter and pinker compared to the lipstick, which has a Lustre finish, so it has a sheerer, softer color. On the lips, the differences are still pronounced–you get a lighter, milkier coral-pink with the gloss but more of a peach-coral with the lipstick. The nail lacquer is much more orange in comparison–it lacks any pink-ish tone, so it comes off as more of a peachy-orange. When the lipgloss is layered over the lipstick, the resulting color is a pink-coral with a milky, creamy look and consistency. The gloss makes everything settle into lip lines, so it’s not the best look, even from a distance.

Razzledazzler Lipglass is a light-medium milky pink-coral with mostly opaque color coverage. It has a tendency to settle into lip lines. MAC So Vain is darker and less pink. MAC Tour de Fabulous is a little pinker and shimmery. Benefit Spiked Punch is more orange. (8.5, 9, 9, 8.5, 4, 4; B)

Razzledazzler Lipstick is a soft coral-peach with a nice sheen. It has a lustre finish, and while it’s permanent in Asia, it’s not here–though it came out as a limited edition shade in Raquel Welch (’07). The color coverage is semi-opaque, which is actually a lot of cover given the finish. Burberry Devon Sunset is very similar, though it’s a touch brighter. MAC So Vain is comparable, though a little warmer. MAC Flamingo is sheerer and pinker. MAC Ever Hip is pinker. (8, 9, 8.5, 7, 4, 4; B-)

Razzledazzler Nail Lacquer is a lightened medium orange with a soft, peachy quality to it, but it still reads more orange rather than peach. It’s opaque in two coats, but it had a streaky initial coat that I did have to use a thicker second coat to cover. It’s noticeably more orange compared to the lipstick and lipgloss. Cult Nails Scandalous is a little darker and has a jelly finish. Essie Tart Deco is a bit lighter. (8.5, 9, 9, 9, 4, 4; B+)

MAC Lipsticks are vanilla-scented but taste-free. Lustre finishes like Razzledazzler typically wear two to three hours on me, and this is one of my least favorite finishes, because I find it very, very drying. Even just wearing the formula for two hours leaves my lips needing hydration. MAC Lipglasses are also vanilla-scented but taste-free. They are very sticky and have a thick, borderline-goopy consistency. If you prefer gel-like, cushion-y glosses that feel lightweight on, I don’t recommend MAC Lipglass. Because of the tackier texture, MAC Lipglasses do tend to wear a full four hours on me, with some of the darker shades lasting up to six hours (with mostly the color lingering at that point).

Note: I am reviewing each “set” together. After I’ve reviewed all sixteen sets, I will do round-ups for each product type (so all lipsticks together) to deliver an overall Glossover rating. This rating is more indicative of the product type, as the rating that follows this post is an average across three totally different types of products. You can also see the individual scores listed after each product, which are listed in the same order as they are in the Glossover.